1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally involves the field of technology pertaining to a device principally for use in retail stores wherein merchandise, such as cigarette packages, are stored in rows, on shelves, and wherein the rows, which can be one or more, are perpendicular to the storage shelves, and are parallel to each other. Usually, viewed from the vantage point of a purchaser, only the first item in a row, at the front of the storage unit, is viewed and, obviously, the merchandise can be removed from the front, the middle, or the rear of the shelve and thus there is no way of knowing how many items, in this case, packages of cigarettes, are still available for sale.
Still further, obviously, if packages are removed, randomly, from the front, back, or middle and also from row to row from the display it greatly disturbs the visual appearance of the shelves. Applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,936 which issued May 10, 1988 substantially resolved the foregoing problems but it is submitted that the instant invention further substantially improves on that device in that a negator spring is provided rather than a coiled spring and three tracks of numbers are provided, rather than one, on an indicator sheet for reasons to be explained below. Further, the indicator sheet itself is no longer a self-coiling sheet but rather is in the form of an endless belt both ends of which are attached to a moveable platform or pusher which urges the merchandise forward. The multiple rows or tracks of numbers on the indicator sheet allows for different thickness of product in the same row since the numbers are staggered in accordance with product thickness.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The closest prior art references known to applicant is his prior issued U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,936, which differs from this invention in the particulars indicated above. That prior patent references the R. E. Taber U.S. Pat. No. 3,416,115 regarding a self-coiling sheet which can be extended and recoiled almost indefinitely without fatigue. The Taber self-coiling sheet, as used in applicant's prior patent, required a spindle at the front of the device, a guide and a pressure plate for maintaining the sheet in a vertical position with respect to a viewing window at the front of the device. Those items are eliminated by the current invention and further incorporates three tracks of numbers, rather than one to accommodate product or merchandise of varying thickness. Applicant's prior patent comprised a dispenser for the storage and dispensing of items of identical size.
None of the references cited above, singularly, or in combination teaches or even suggests the use of the unique combination of an endless belt negator spring for urging a pusher nor an indicator sheet having multiple rows of numbers to be viewed through a viewing window at the front of the device.